Apparatus for interrupting relatively high potential circuits.



No. 662,784. Pate nted Nov. 27, I900.

w. enuu ow, JR. APPARATUS FOR INTERBUPTING RELATIVELY HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1899.-

2 Shoots-Sheet I.

(No Model.) I

m @N' m m: mums PETERS co. pumam no. wAsH-wsnw u c N0. 662,784. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

w. snunow, 1R.

APPARATUS FOR INTERRUPTING RELATIVELY HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shaet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GRUNOVV, JR, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOELRCY-GRUNOVV ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM, OF SAME PLACE.

.APPARATUS FOR INTERRUPTING RELATIVELY HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No- 662,784, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed November 20, 1899. Serial No. 737,587. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may 600 magnetic field at a point where the arc is Beitknown that I, l/VILLIAM GRUNOW, J12, thus established, in which field the magnetic a citizen of the United States, residing at. lines of force flow in lines substantially par- Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and allel with the flow of the arc-establishing cur- 5 State of Connecticut, have made a new and rent, as disclosed in United States Patent to useful Invention in Apparatus for Interrupt- Elihu Thomson, No. 470,721, dated March 15, ing Relatively High Potential Electrical Cir- 1892. In another pending application, filed cuits, of which the following is aspecilication. by me in the United States Patent Office on Hyinvention is directed particularly to imthe 13th day of June, 1900, and bearing Se- IO provementsinapparatusfor-interruptingrelarial No. 20,114, I have described and claimed,

tively high potential electrical circuits; and broadly, means for effecting the before-menit has for its object to effect this result withtioned result when the circuit, which includes out dangerous or damaging arcing and will be a high potential generator itself, is interfully understood by referring to the accolnrupted by establishinga magnetic field at one I5 panying drawings, in which terminal of the circuit in such manner that Figure lisaside elevational view of ahandthe magnetic lines of force flow in substanswitch embodying my invention, a part of the tially the same direction as does the current switch-operating mechanism being shown in which it is sought to interrupt. section. Fig. 2 isapart plan and part trans- The present invention is limited to the 2o Verse sectional View of the apparatus shown structural apparatus hereinafter described in Fig. 1, said figure illustrating also diaand will be understood by referring to the grammatically its connection in shunt reladrawings in detail, in all of which like chartion with a source of electrical energy. Fig. acters of reference represent like parts wher- 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the ever used. 25 contacting terminals of the switching appa- 1 represents the usual insulating-base of a ratus. Fig. 4is a part plan and part sectional hand-switch,and 13 a standard made of metal, View of the apparatus with the upper portion which standard is secured to the base and of the switching mechanism removed, its conconstitutes the pivotal support of a movable nection being also illustrated diagrammaticterminal 18, adapted to contact electrically 8o 0 ally in series relation with a source of elecwith a fixed terminal in the nature of a bitrical energy; and Fig. 5 isaside elevational polar magnet 4, provided with cores 3 3, seview of the entire apparatus illustrated in cured to a yoke 2, which in turn is attached plan view in Fig. 4:. directly to the base 1. The upper ends of the Prior to my invention it has been customcores 3 3 are slotted, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 ary to interrupt electrical circuits of rela- 3, so as to constitute contacting fingers 5 5,

tively high potential without establishing an adapted to pass between corresponding finare which shall be eitherdangerous to the opgers 1.) 19 at the lower end of the movable erator or damaging to the apparatus by setterminal 18, which terminal is secured, as ting up or effecting a magnetic field in close shown in Figs. 1 and 3, directly to the outer o 40 proximity to the switching terminals where end of an arm 15, pivotally supported by a the interruption is effected in such manner bolt 16, passing through upwardly-extending as to cause the lines of force thereof to flow arms 1 1 from 'the standard 13. 20 is a yoke I substantially at right angles to the direction pivoted upon the same bolt 16 and washer 17 ofcurrent-fiow,thusblowingout the arc,so and carrying at its upper end an insulating 5 5 to speak, by the magnetic action of the field. operating-handle 21, 22 and being oppo- It is also old in the art to extinguish an absitely disposed arms located, respectively, normal are established in an electrical cirabove and below the arm 15. 21 is a socket cuit including an electrical generator and at the lower end of the arm 23, in which is setranslating devices through the agency of cured a sliding pin 26, resting upon a spiral I00 50 superimposed currents of enormously high spring 25, located within the socket, the arpotential, such as lightning, by setting up a rangennent being such that when the operatiug-handle 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow B the terminal 18 is placed in closed position, and when moved in the direction ol the arrow A the switch is actuated after the manner of well-known forms of suspecting switches. No novelty is claimed for these especial details with relation to the yoke 20, arms 22 and 23, pin 21), and spring 25, as he same come within the terms of well-known forms of snap-acting electrical switches and are simply described here for the purpose of illustrating a complete switch embodying my invention.

12 and 12 are bin ding-posts, the former con nected to the standard 13 and the latter to the yoke '10 and 11 (see Fig. 2) represent diagranr matically the circuits running from a source of electrical energy to translating devices (not shown) with which my novel switching apparatus is designed to be used for the purpose of interrupting the circuit without dangerous or damaging arcing.

i) represents a resistance, and S a shuntcircuit running to a binding-post 7 on the base of the switch, which in turn connected by a conductor 30, constituting the coils of the magnet e, the opposite end of which coils is connected at (3 directly to the yoke 2, so that the fingers 5 of the bipolar magnet constitute the stationary or fixed terminal of the switch, the finger; 19 constituting the movable terminal thereof.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The current from the generator (see Fig. passes by the conductor 11 to the hinding-post 1.2, yolce 2, cores 3 of the magnet, fingers 5 of the fixed terminal, fingers 19 of the movable terminal 18, arm 15, standard 13, binding-post 12, conductor 11 to the tra' slating devices, returning again by the conductor 10 to the generator. A shunt or branch circuit passes at the same time by the conductor 11 to the binding-post 12, binding-post -6, coils 30 of the magnet 4;, binding-post 7,

conductor 8, resistance 9, conductor 10 to the generator, thereby giving to the poles and fingers 5 of the bipolar magnet a definite polar ity and establishing a magnetic field at numerous points where the circuit is to be interrupted of sufiicient intensity to blow out or interrupt the are when the switch is moved in the direction of the arrow A, 1.

In the modified form shown in Fig. i the current from the generator passes directly through the coils 30 of the magnet, thence to the binding-post (3, base 2, cores 3 of the magnet, movable terminal 18, (see Fig. 5,) standard 18, (see Fig. 4,) binding-post 12, conductor 10 to the other terminal of the generator. Nhen, therefore, the movable terminal of the switch is moved by forcing the handle 21 in the direction of the arrow A, the fingers 19 are caused to be drawn from between the fingers 5 and the circuit interrupted at a number of points in a manner well understood. By rea son of the fact that there is a strong magnetic field established at thi-sc points the magnetic lines of force which are lowingsubstantially in the same direction as is the currcntdiow wiil cause the individual arcs which tend to be established at the several points to be instantly extinguished, and this whether the magnetic field he established either by a derived or shunt circuit, s illustrated in Fig. 2, or by a series circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

I make no claim in the present application to apparatus for applying the principle of extinguishing an are between a pair of circuitii'iterrupting terminals in an electrical circuit by establishing a magnetic field in which the magnetic lines of force fiow in substantially the same direction as does the current-fiow, as this feature constitutes the s-iuhjcct-matter of the separate application above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Means for interrupting relatively high potential electrical circuits without dangerous or damaging arcing, consisting of two circuit-interrupting terminals located in the circuit to be interrupted, one of said terminals being provided with an operating-handle in combination with means for setting up or establishing an electromagnetic field about said terminals, in which field the magneticlines of force are caused to fiow in substantially the same direction as does the curs-outflow; said terminals being each provided with a series of fingers adapted to interrupt the circuit at a n umber of points,substantially as described.

2. Means for interrupting relatively high potential electrical circuits without dangerous or damaging arcing, consisting of two circuitinterrupting te aninals located in the cit cuit to be interrupted, one of said trn'minals being provided with an energizing coil or coils adapted to set up or establish an electromagnetic field in which the magnetic lines of force tend to fiow in substantially the same direction as does the current to be interrupted and the other with an operatirig-handle, said terminals being so constructed as to interrupt the circuit at a number of points, substantially as described,

3. Means for interinpting relatively high potential electrical circuits without dangerous or damaging arcing, consisting of two circuit-interrupting terminals located in the circuit to be interrupted, one of said terminals being in the nature of a bipolar electromagnet having coils in circuit with a source of electrical energy and adapted to establish a magnetic field at the poles of the bipolar magnet in which the magnetic lines of force tend to fiow in substantially the same direction as does the current-[low to be interrupted, the other terminal being in the nature of a movable armature and both terminals provided with lingers adapted to interrupt the circuit at a number of points, substantially as described.

Means for interrupting relatively high.

and source of current-supply, the arrangelnent being such that the magnetic lines of force of the stationary terminal tend to flow in substantially the same direction as does the currentflow through the poles thereof and the movable terminal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l/VILLIAM GRUNOWV, JR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. ROGERS, M. L. SHAY. 

